GW, from your post you don't have the patience to be in the market (any market) long term {gen Y? – want it all today!}. There is no magical cure, if you have debt either you pay it off or you don't (capital growth may go some way towards easing the pain however it will be making the additional repayments on P&I loans/or saving the additional sum…[Read more]

generally, agent websites eg colliers, JLL and some of the specialists in the selected area (eg industrial, commercial or retail). Other sites: commercialrealestate.com.auCoverall: google

Strata levies are comprised of two elements – administrative fund and the sinking fund.The sinking fund covers such items of the common property that require maintenance eg lawn mowing/garden maintenance, painting, replacement of broken/dilapidated/unsafe common area items (eg lighting, paths, external doors, balustrading etc). There may be some…[Read more]

A door which does not lock is a security risk – he tenant may not be able to get insurance (as required under the lease). This is a lessor obligation to provide secure premises. Likewise the toilet – you own it, you have to fix it unless it has been broken maliciously by the tenants.There are many similarities between commercial and residential…[Read more]

Savings? Direction in life? What do you want to do? Is it a buy & hold/doer uper/IP? Are you looking at commercial in the extremely tight Perth market (very little new office space coming on the market for another year or two still).?

From a renter's perspective – it makes no difference whether it is 500 m2 or 750 m2. Likewise they have no development rights so the easement makes not a scrap of difference to them (they are not interested parties on the title & wouldn't know an easement if they fell over one).Generally rental properties achieve a rent based on the number of…[Read more]

Check that the building is actually Heritage Listed by the State not just an item of interest etc on the Council's Heritage Register – a big difference. A state listing (state/national significance) will give relief from land tax & some other charges.I would find it difficult to believe that a 1940's building in Burwood (a suburb with many…[Read more]

If there is a lease in place, 21 days prior to the expiry of the lease (me thinks) – ref: http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.auThat is, you cannot break the lease prior to expiry unless there is a default & judgement against the tenant.

One thing KY, if you hold for five years, you have paid the gst when you built. As the properties are residential you can't pass that cost onto the purchaser it is included in your price. You don't get it back.

Kenton, you may have to bite the bullet if you want someone to accept the new rent (after the lease expires). You may have to weigh up the cost of keeping a paying tenant (with a smaller increase) against losing them, having to carry out works and waiting for a tenant to occupy.

Magnus, have you joined the API? As a student member (and GAPI/AAPI) there are quite a few reasonably good resources both in their members section and in their library.Refer to the property clocks as to where the current thinking is with regard to the investment cycle. Investment in retail is generally counter cyclical although it is now taking…[Read more]

If the tenant is under a lease there is no provision for any rent review until expiry of the lease. You will need to give 60 days notice of any rent review before it can take effect.

Research material comes from such sources as RP Data and the like ie recent sales information (you will have to pay for it though) or you can keep a log of newspapers reporting the sales in an area eg local paper, smh or the age.There is fundamentally nothing wrong with purchasing units – people have to live somewhere, they will increase relative…[Read more]

Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. Talk with your financial planner , work out what you want to do, map out how you are going to achieve these goals. you have gone from running a business to being 'unemployed' and cashed up. Review your position and what you want to achieve.Good luck.

Consider the following:  get the site approved for 4 dwellings, stage the development building 2 at a time. Alternatively, seek a jv with someone who will share the risk. Option 2 get the DA and sell the site. Option 3 DA approval, do the required works for subdivision and sell the blocks.

As you are increasing your debt levels by borrowing from your equity (eg via a LOC) you are effectively reducing your ability to further leverage the property for any other purpose. Unless the property is experiencing rapid capital growth (and the bank will allow more frequent reassessment of the property's value) then you will hit a brick wall…[Read more]

It all depends upon the purpose of the trip – if it is to inspect possible investments or a pre-purchase inspection leading to a new IP then these costs would be capitalised. On the other hand, if it is to inspect your current properties then it is a cost of owing and you are entitled to inspect. Diarise the trip including all meetings that you…[Read more]

No – renters like owner occupiers will source out a house to suit ie some will want a pool others won't. Finding a tenant that will adequately maintain a pool may be a bit of an issue (I'd speak with a couple of different managing agents about properties with pools and whether or not you should have a rental with one). If the answer is they are a…[Read more]

As Michael said, 12% is very tight. Personally I wouldn't touch it as the risk/reward ratio is simply not there. In saying that how have you derived 12% (is it after factoring in interest, holding costs, all development costs, purchase/sales costs, legals, subdivision, design, approvals, council contributions etc)?I would recommend doing a dcf as…[Read more]

Up to you whether you want your tenants next door, but the upside is that you get to select your neighbours. You will pay more for the block next door as you have the added opportunity of combining two blocks (much more saleable to a developer than having to do two separate deals).How far off is the pressure for medium density? It may well be…[Read more]